County of Artois

The County of Artois was a historical province of the Kingdom of France that existed from 1237 to 1482, when it became a state of the Holy Roman Empire. It existed as an imperial state from 1493 to 1659, and it was a part of France from 1659 until the French Revolution of 1792. Artois is located near the present-day border with Belgium, with Arras, Calaise, Boulogne, Saint-Omer, Lens, and Bethune being the major cities of the region. The county was later annexed by the County of Flanders, and it would be ruled by the Duchy of Burgundy until the Habsburg inherited Artois. In 1579, Artois signed the Treaty of Arras and would remain a part of the Spanish Netherlands until the Franco-Spanish War, when Artois was given back to France. The county was abolished in 1792 during the French Revolution, and Artois has been a city of France since then.